Locomotive



@ E5, i935. v E. L. SCHELLENS 2,937,134

LoCoMoTIVE Original Filed June 27, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 lNvE o gulf A MHS fili* l5, 1935. E. 1 scHELLENs LOCOMOTIVE Original Filed June 27, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 ILNjENT R B Patented Oct. l5, 1935 STATES t UNITE PATENT OFFICE LOCOMOTIVE a corporation of Delaware Original application June 27, 1932', Serial No.

Divided and this application June 8, 1933, Serial No. 674,793

14 Claims'.

This invention relates to locomotives, and is primarily concerned with the separation of cinders and other solids from the flue gases, and the provision oi simple structure, readily applied to existing equipment, which Will accomplish this function in such manner as to enhance the efficiency of the draft and of the locomotive as a Whole.

This application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 619,458, filed June 27, 1932.

Present standard front ends such as the master mechanics front end, which were satisfactory heretofore, are found to have limitations of such character that they do not meet the increased demands thereon brought about by the increased erciency of the locomotives.

It is to improvements in this part of locomotives that this invention is directed, and I aim to increase locomotive efficiency through the provision of improvements in front ends and associated mechanisms.

My solution of the front end problem differs from previous methods of approach in that it radically departs from the functional operation of the generally accepted front end constructions by entirely eliminating the necessity of grinding the cinders into particles small enough to pass through the screen for stack discharge. In order to properly grind up the cinders and pass them through the screen or netting in these prior constructions, very high velocities are employed, with the result that the cinders come in contact with the netting a number of times and thus cause considerable Wear of the netting, as Well as of the smoke box ring, cover, stack and other parts. The cinders discharged through the stack have a high fuel value, and therefore a Wastage of fuel exists,

In such front ends, it is necessary that all gases pass through restricted areas under a table plate and diaphragm. The energy thus consumed is a large percentage of the energy required to draft the locomotive and, in fact, approximately thirty per cent. of draft energy is consumed through cinder handling and throttling due to restricted passages. This additional energy is obtained only by a corresponding increase in back pressure.

Among the advantages to be obtained through the practice of my invention are increased draft efficiency, operation with lower back pressure for the same draft, elimination of smoke, and increased life of the front end parts.

The cinders are handled in a manner such that they gravitate to the bottom of the front end, from whence they are returned to the fire box and burned therein, so that a considerable saving v'cmiredf tion in back. pres-sure. 5

(Cl'. HOL-122) of fuel is eiected, Furthermore, the arrangement is' such that there is substantially no loss of.- (irait and; therefore no additional energy is re- This results in a corresponding reduc- I. also propose to employ a front end structure of such shape that the cinders move in a direction tangentially along. the screen rather than against it whereby Wearv on the screen is very materially reducedw I also provide an arrangement whereby any Water which drip-sirom the stack is drained into a water-tight well orv container surrounding the exhaust pipe ofi' the locomotive, so that as the Asmoke hon becomes the water evaporates. 15 through. this arrangement, plugging of the netting is avoided. lin thisconnection it is pointedout that in constructions such as heretofore employed there is considerable drip from the stack under certain operating conditions which falls on the table. plate, netting, or'both, and` often causes wetor" the cinders and netting to such an extent that very objectionable soot is formed.

The: primary object of my invention is to overcome difiicurlties such as mentioned above and to increase the eii'iciency of locomotives and railroad operation in general'.

How the foregoing, together with such other objects and advantages as: may hereinafter appear or are incident to'v my invention are realized, is illustrated preferred form in the accompanying drawings, wherein-- Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through a locomotive front end construction embodying my invention,l and also illustrates the re: box. portion, oi the locomotive. Certain portions of the vieware brokenout in order to condense the ligure, andi certain of the parts appear in eleva-tion;

Figure 2 is a front elevational View with the 40 front end Cover removed; and

Figurel 3- isa-u. enlarged plan section taken substantially on the line 3--3 of Figure l.

Figure l-shows the front end and fire box construction of a locomotive having a boiler I, smoke i5y box 2, smoke box cover 2a., re box 3, stack 4, flues 5 and 6, forward flue sheet l, rear flue sheet 8, and. exhaust nozzle: 9.

the stack extension and nozzle tip is afforded. 55,

BEESSUED The unit A comprises a top plate ID, a bottom plate I I, a pair of curved back plates I2, and side screens I3, in this instance two screens being illustrated as making up each side. The top plate I8 is supported from the smoke box casing by means of suitable supports I4 and I5.

The particu-lar form of smoke box 2 illustrated is provided with an arcuate recess I 6 adjacent the stack for receiving a feed water heater or the like, and the disposition of the unit A surrounding the stack is such that the gas iiow area between said unit and said recessed portion is approximately equal to or is greater than the ue area of the locomotive. In instances where the smoke box is provided with a flat heater recess at the top, this serves as a convenient surface for the attachment of the top plate of the unit A.

The bottom plate I I is positioned on an adapter plate I I which is secured with a water-tight joint, as by means of welding, to an adapter member I8 located in surrounding Arelation to the exhaust nozzle 9. The adapter-member I8 is secured in place in the smoke box as by means of welding at I9, so `as to form a water-tight connection. The adapter member I8 and its plate I'I provide a means sealed from the cinder passages for collecting water drip from the stack. The drip is caught by the plate I 1 and drains into the watertight well or pocket formed by the member I8, where it is evaporated. This arrangement avoids wetting of the cinders by stack drip. The adapter plate II is provided with an upstanding annular flange 28, and the bottom plate I I is provided With a depending annular flange 2I which ts inside of the flange 20. A bottom dividing plate 22 extending along the center line of the smoke box is located between the bottom plate II and the lower wall of the smoke box and extends from the front edge of the unit A to the adapter member I8. This dividing member may be tack-welded to the smoke box and the adapter member I8.

An upper dividing plate 23 also extending along the center line of the smoke box is located between the top and bottom plates III and II, and may be secured in place as by means of key and pin devices 24, and may be braced by means of braces 25. This dividing plate extends from the front edge of the unit A to a. point 26 spaced somewhat from the stack 4.

Vertical frame members 21 extending from the top to the bottom plate, and horizontal frame members 28 extending from the vertical frame members to the front edge of the unit, are provided, the vertical frame members being secured to the top and bottom plates as by means of pin and key devices 29 and the horizontal members being secured at one end to the vertical members as by means of keys 38, and at their other ends to suitable structure 3| associated with the dividing plate 23 by means of pin and key devices 32.

The curved back plates I2, which together form a semi-circular wall, are attached at their free ends to the vertical frame members 21 through the medium of cooperating lugs 33 adapted to receive pin and key devices 34, the two curved members I2 being attached together as by means of hook devices 35. The sections or panels of the side screens I3 are secured in place by means of curved vertical strips 36 and curved horizontal strips 31, the strips 36 and 3'I serving to clamp the screen panels against the vertical frame members 27, the horizontal vframe members 28 and the structure` 3I, which is carried at the dividing plate 23. The clamping is effected by means of pin and key devices 38. It is to be noted that the top edge portions of the upper screen panels rest against flanges 39 provided on the top plate ID, and that the lower edge portions of the bottom screen panels rest against similar flanges provided on the bottom plate II.

A dividing plate extension 40 is secured to the front edge portion of the dividing plate 23 and has its front edge configured to conform with the inside of the front smoke box cover, a slight space 4I being provided between the front edge of the plate and the inside surface of the smoke box cover. This extension may be secured to the dividing plate 23 by means of bolts and double nuts.

It Will be noted that the dividing plates 22 and 15 23 and the extension 40 serve to divide the front portion of the smoke box into halves, in which cinders collect. These plates also function to prevent cross-currents from one side or half of the smoke box to the other, so that no eddies or vortexes are set up. By eliminating the eddies and vortexes, increased efiiciency is obtained and objectionable churning around of the cinders is prevented. I prefer to have the bottom edge 42 of the extension 43 located at a point somewhat 25 above the bottom wall of the smoke box, so that a relatively small opening 43 is provided at the bottom through which cinders may pass from one half of the smoke box to the other half.

Referring particularly to Figure 2, it will be seen that the size of the unit A is such that comparatively large and unrestricted passages are provided at each side thereof for the free passage of the gases and cinders, so that low velocity operation is obtained. The cross-sectional area of these passages may be from one hundred and fifty percent to two hundred percent of the flue area.

As will be seen from inspection of Figure 3, the rounded back wall and the side screens arranged in the form of a V cooperate to provide a device of such shape that the cinders move in a direction tangentially along the screen rather than against it. Stated in another way, the unit A is of teardrop shape in horizontal cross section with the blunt end toward the ue sheet l, or it may be 45 said to be of generally oval shape in horizontal cross section with the long axis extending horizontally of the locomotive. This construction of the unit goes hand in hand with the low velocities in increasing the effectiveness of the device.

Theunit A may be readily applied to existing smoke boxes, since it merely replaces the conventional type of netting and baiiies. The unit is readily assembled due to its simplicity of construction involving removable plates conveniently `ioined together by strips and key devices.

In the lower portion of the smoke box and to each side of the unit A, a pair of cinder return pipes 44 are located which extend from the smoke box to the fire box and are straight from their entrance ends to their exit ends and extend through lower flues 6 of the locomotive boiler.

An ejector device 45 is associated with each cinder return pipe 44 at its entrance or smoke box end and operating steam is led thereto as by means of pipes 46. Cinders collecting in the lower portion of the smoke box are thus ejected through the cinder return pipes into the fire box, where they are consumed.

No specific claim is Ymade herein to the cinder return mechanism and fire box or rear end construction as claims directed thereto form part of the subject matter of my copending application Serial No. 619,458, led June 27, 1932, of which this application is a division.

I claimz- Y 1. In a locomotive having `a smoke box and stack, the combination of cinder separating means in the smoke box including means in surrounding relation to the stack inlet opening having a nonforaminous rounded rear wall and foraminous side walls merging at their rear ends with the rounded rear wall and extending forwardly at angles to meet at a ridge with each other at their front ends whereby cinders are caused to flow tangentially along the foraminous side walls to` ward the front of the smoke box.

2. In a locomotive, cinder separating means including a smoke box, a smoke stack, and a screen device through which smoke box gases must pass to enter the stack, said screen device including anv upright shell having a rear curved portion in surrounding and spaced relation to the stack inlet opening and a forward portion of forwardly pointing V-form in horizontal cross-section, said rear portion being non-foraminous and said forward portion being foraminous.

3. In a locomotive having a smoke box and stack, the combination of means dividing the poition of the smoke box from the stack forward into right and left halves including an upright cinder separating device in complete surrounding relation to the stack inlet opening having nonforaminous walls at its rear portion and foraminous walls at its front portion, and an upright partition portion extending from within said cinder separating device to the front of the smoke box to complete said division of the smoke box.

4. In a locomotive having a smoke box and stack, the combination of a cinder separating device in said smoke box in complete surrounding relation to the stack inlet and having a screened opening through which gases must pass to enter the stack, an imperforate bottom wall for said device, and a well connected with said bottom and secured to the smoke box wall with leakproof connection, said well having communication with the interior of said device for the collection of stack drip.

5. In a locomotive having a smoke box and smoke stack, the combination of a generally upright screen device in the smoke box in complete surrounding relation to the smoke stack inlet opening, including a top plate and an imperforate bottom plate supported from the smoke box, a plurality of upright panels, means for detachably securing said panels together to form a shell extending from the bottom plate to the top plate, and means for collecting stack drip including a drip chamber having communication with the interior of the screen device and having sealed connection with an adjacent portion of the smoke box and the bottom plate of the screen device to guard against drip leakage into the smoke box.

6. In a locomotive having a smoke box, a smoke stack and an exhaust nozzle, the combination of a generally upright separating device in the smoke box in complete surrounding relation to the smoke stack inlet and exhaust nozzle outlet and having an inlet for smoke box gases, an imperforate bottom for said device spaced above the adjacent bottom wall portion of the smoke box and a watertight well having communication with the interior of the separating device for collecting stack drip, said well being in surrounding relation to the exhaust nozzle and extending from the bottom of the separating device to the adjacent bottom wall portion of the smoke box.

7. In a locomotive having a smoke box, a smoke stack and an exhaust nozzle, the combination of a generally upright Aseparating device 4-in the smoke box in complete surrounding relation to the smoke stack inlet and exhaust nozzle outlet and having an inlet for smoke box gases, an imperforate bottom for said device spaced above the 25 adjacent bottom Vwall portion of the smoke box and a water tight well having communication with the interior of the separating device for col- .lecting stack drip, said well being in surrounding relation to the exhaust nozzle and extending from 10.

the bottomof the separating device to the adjacent vbottomwall portion of the smoke box, together with means providing a seal for said well at 'the separating device'and atthe smoke box.

y 8. Ina locomotive having a smoke box, stack, 15I

and tube sheet, a front end construction compris-'- ing cinder separating means in the smoke box through which gases must pass to enter the stack, said means being in surrounding relation to the stack inlet opening and having an imperforate 20 y and rounded portion adjacent the tube sheet and a perforate portion extending forwardly from the rounded portion and terminating in an upright medial ridge arranged substantially parallel to the direction of gas flow .as the gases leave the 25 imperforate portion, said perforate portion constituting the inlet of the cinder separating means, and said cinder separating means being spaced from the smoke box wall to provide unobstructed passages at the sides thereof. V

9. In a locomotive having a smoke box and stack, the combination of screen means in the smoke box comprising a substantially semi-cylindrical imperforate portion arranged upright 1n surrounding relation to the inlet portion of the stack and substantially flat upright perforate portions merging with the semi-cylindrical portion at one end and meeting with. each other at the other end, said flat portions extending well toward the front of the smoke box and constituting the inlet of the screen means.

10. In a locomotive having a smoke box and stack, a screen device adapted to be associated with the stack of the locomotive comprising an upright substantially semi-cylindrical imperforate portion arranged upright in surrounding relation to the entrance portion o1' the stack and upright substantially iat screen portions connected to the semi-cylindrical portion at one of their edges and extending at anangle toward each other to meet at their other edges Well toward the front of the smoke box, said screen portions constituting the inlet of the screen device.

11. In a locomotive having a smoke box and V stack, the combination of screen means in the smoke box in complete surrounding relation to the lower inlet portion of the stack and in spaced relation to the walls of the smoke box to provide gas and cinder passages at the sides of the screen means, said screen means having a rounded im-\ perforate portion presented to entering gases and cinders and a perforate portion of forwardly pointing V-form in horizontal cross-section extending from the rounded portion well toward the front of the smoke box, said passages being unobstructed, and said V-shaped portion constituting the inlet of the screen means.

12. In a locomotive having a smoke box and stack, the combination of screen means in the smoke box in surrounding relation to the lower portion of the stack, said screen means having a rounded imperforate portion presented to entering gases and cinders and a perforate portion of forwardly pointing V-form in horizontal crosssection extending from the rounded portion Well toward the front of the smoke box and said screen means also extending substantially from bottom to top of the smoke box and being spaced from the walls of the smoke box to provide gas and cinder passages at the sides of the screen means, said passages being unobstructed and said V- shaped portion constituting the inlet of the screen means.

13. In a locomotive having a smoke box and,

stack, the combination of means vdividing the portion of the smoke box from the stack forward into right and left halves including an upright cinder separating device in complete surrounding relation to the stack inlet opening having imperforate walls at its rear portion and perforate Walls at its front portion, and an upright partition portion extending from within said cinder r separating device to the front of the smoke box to 'complete said division of the smoke box, said partition portion having an opening at its lower portion for providing communication between said halves.

14. In a locomotive, cinder separating means including a smoke box, a smoke stack, an exhaust nozzle, a screen device through which smoke box gases must pass to enter the stack, said screen device including an upright shell having an imperforate rear curved portion in surrounding and spaced relation to the stack inlet opening and a perforate forward portion arranged in the form of a V, an imperforate bottom Wall, a cylindrical portion extending downwardly from the bottom Wall and disposed in surrounding relation to said nozzle for collecting stack drip, means forming a sealed connection between said cylindrical portion and bottom wall, and means forming a sealed connection between said cylindrical portion and the adjacent portion of the smoke box wall.

EUGENE L. SCHELLENS. 

